Lio messi-7 Time ballondore winner "LM7"

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EnnuLla eetavum naLla abinethavu ronaldo anu. Cinemayil ayirunnel anger 10 oscarengleghilum nediyene

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LIONEL MESSI WINE SET FOR LAUNCH

Football superstar Lionel Messi is to become the latest sportsman to enter the wine industry after Argentinian winery Bodega Valentin Bianchi announced it is to launch a new wine bearing his name.

The wine will be called “Leo” after the Barcelona and Argentina star and it has the full backing of the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year.

According to the winery – which is based in Messi’s home province of Mendoza – the project will be carried out in cooperation with the Leo Messi Foundation, with the profits being diverted to charitable causes.

“This venture will collaborate with the Leo Messi Foundation in order to continue creating projects focused on infant health and education, as well as establishing sporting activity as a key part of the fight against poverty and vulnerability,” a statement said.

“These are the fundamental aspects of the Foundation, which since 2008 has worked tirelessly to carry its mission forward; acting to help at-risk children and adolescents.”

This new partnership is far from the first charitable project that Messi has aided through his foundation.

He has helped to fund new sporting facilities in Rosario, as well as set up a scheme which offers scholarships in Barcelona to Argentine students studying pediatric medicine.

At just 24 years of age, Messi has won three consecutive FIFA Ballon d’Or (“World Player of the Year”) awards and is considered by many to be the best soccer player on the planet, if not one of the best of all time.

There seems to be something of a growing trend in sportsmen getting involved in the wine industry. Last year we reported that Chinese basketball star Yao Ming is venturing into business just months after retiring from the NBA, setting up a wine company to meet a growing thirst for wine in his home country.

In 2008 former France, Newcastle and Spurs winger David Ginola received a silver medal at the International Wine Challenge for a rosé wine produced at his vineyard in Provence

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Javier Mascherano: 'Lionel Messi does not need a rest'


Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano has insisted that fellow Argentinian and club teammate Lionel Messi does not need a rest.

Former Argentine striker Mario Kempes had recently suggested that Messi has not been at his best of late and was in need of a period on the sideline, a claim which has been refuted by Mascherano.

"He scored the other day [against Real Sociedad] and he looks fine to me. The coach decides how much he needs to play. [Messi] helps us a lot. For the matter of rest, we have physios and a coach who take charge of that," Mascherano told reporters.

"He is a player who prefers playing to training. Every physique is different. If he plays every match, it's because he's in the condition to do so."

Mascherano could be part of the Barcelona side who entertain Valencia in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tie on Wednesday evening.

[Giggs]

Thanks rayemon

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[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkOYS5LJZpY]Barcelona Vs Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 All Goals & Highlight 14/2/2012 European Cups - Champions League - YouTube[/ame]

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Lionel Messi: it was crucial for Barcelona to earn first-leg lead against Bayer Leverkusen in Champions League
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has expressed relief after leaving Bayer Leverkusen with a 3-1 first-leg advantage which puts the Spanish champions on the verge of the Champions League quarter-finals.

Holders Barcelona took a giant step towards the last eight on Tuesday night with a convincing win, following a slow start, as maestro Messi put in an impressive display.
Goals either side of half-time from Chile's Alexis Sanchez put Barcelona in the lead, before Messi claimed a late strike after converting a Dani Alves cross, having initially set the Brazil defender free.
After Czech Republic defender Michal Kadlec put Leverkusen level with a well-timed header at the start of the second-half, the hosts then squandered a number of chances to earn a draw before Messi's 88th-minute goal put the result beyond doubt.
"It was important for us to win this match, because under Pep (Guardiola) we have never won the first match in the Round of 16," said Messi, ahead of the return leg at the Nou Camp on March 7.
"We knew it would be complicated to play against the Germans.

"It's always nice to score a goal, but the important thing was the result for the team."
It was Messi's defence-splitting pass which led to the first goal as Alves and Sanchez sprinted side by side after the ball, and it was the Chilean who arrived first to fire past Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno after 41 minutes.
Despite a plucky display by the hosts, Barca simply had too much quality in their ranks to be held up by the Germans.
"I think the second half was good, we used the space better after we took the lead," said Guardiola.
"We tried to improve our game, we had a few chances in the first half, but perhaps the final pass was missing.
"We can be happy with the performance we put in today, we have given ourselves a good chance now for the return leg.
"We know that the Germans play a good long-ball game, they use their height and Leverkusen really came at us in the second half and we know we have to be careful in the second leg."
Despite Barcelona dominating possession, Leverkusen fought until the final whistle and coach Robin Dutt praised his team, who have now won just one of their last eight games.
"The defense was good in the first half, but we were lacking a bit of courage," said Dutt.
"We gave them too much respect and were a bit anxious.
"It was a completely different story in the second half when we played our part in the game and caused Barcelona some problems."

[hitman87]

Messi made history on Valentine’s Day, scoring the third goal for Barca, his 19th goal in European club competetions in the knockout stages, making him the top scorer againts Spanish legend and all-time UEFA top scorer Raul, who managed to score 18 goals in the knockout stages.

At just 24 years of age, he has scored 44 goals as against Raul’s 71 UEFA goals. And with the rate at which he is scoring, it is only a matter of time before we see him break Raul’s record.

[hitman87]

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: After seeing his defenders thoroughly outclassed by Lionel Messi, Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voeller was dismayed that his players squabbled over the souvenir when Messi gave the shirt off his back - at half-time. Messi scored one goal, set up another and hit a post in Barcelona's 3-1 Champions League win at Leverkusen on Tuesday night, when two of the home team's players were a little too keen to collect a jersey from the three-time FIFA player of the year.
The eagerness of defenders Michal Kadlec and Manuel Friedrich to acquire Messi's shirt was "definitely a bit too much," Voeller said in Thursday's edition of German daily Bild.

AP Photo

Bild reported Kadlec exchanged jerseys with the Argentine star at half-time, only for Friedrich to take it from him after a squabble outside the locker rooms.
"Manuel stole the jersey from me during half-time," Kadlec told the newspaper.
Both defenders had been badly caught out of position when Messi fed Alexis Sanchez for Barcelona's first goal shortly before half-time.
Voeller was furious the two players allowed themselves be star-struck when "90 percent of the team was fully concentrated on the game."
Kadlec, who scored Leverkusen's goal, managed to exchange jerseys a second time after the final whistle - after Sanchez got his second goal and Messi completed the scoring.
Voeller promised to speak to the two players.
"I guarantee that Kadlec and Friedrich will auction their Messi jerseys for a good cause," he said.
Kadlec acknowledged later on Thursday that "in hindsight, it doesn't leave the best impression to exchange jerseys at half-time already." The Czech leftback denied he and Friedrich fought over Messi's shirt, adding that he was "joking" when he said his teammate stole it.
Leverkusen play the second leg of the second-round series at Barcelona on March 7.

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Lionel Messi to become youngest-ever Barcelona player to make 200 league appearances

The Argentina international is set to rack up a double century of La Liga matches in the game against Valencia at the weekend, setting a new Blaugrana record due to his age










Bongarts

Fifa Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is set to become the youngest-ever Barcelona player to make 200 La Liga appearances for the the club if he features in this weekend's home game against Valencia